Miz Berlin Walks [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), Floyd Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Everyone in town knows Miz Berlin. With that big black umbrella with the silver spokes, she walks the block, and talks, and sometimes even tells stories to herself!

One little girl isn't satisfied just to watch from afar. One day she catches up to Miz Berlin, who goes tight on telling her stories as if her little companion had been there all the while: block-long stories and two-day stories about how she caught crawdads the day the sky rained feathers, about the day the flood rose right to her door. And about her own birthing day in a humble cabin. She doesn't seem one whit surprised that the little girl jumps in, stepping right into Miz Berlin's stories.

In Miz Berlin Walks, illustrated with Floyd Cooper's rich oil-wash paintings, Jane Yolen shares the magic of story-telling, and the magic of a sharing between generations that leads to real friendship. With illustrations by Floyd Cooper

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Cooper's ability to define and personalize characters and his soft-focus technique, which gives a nostalgic veneer to his artwork, make him a wise choice for this touching tale. Over the course of the story, the faces of the narrator, a young African-American girl, and Miz Berlin, an elderly white woman, fluctuate with emotion as the two begin and enjoy a friendship in a small Virginia town. Miz Berlin, "talking or singing or in quiet contemplation" walks the town, and although Mary Louise can only accompany her to the end of the block, she finds the woman's stories of catching crawdads on the day the sky rained feathers, living through a hurricane, or being born in a dirt-floor cabin captivating and comes to know the woman in a wonderful way. At the end, when Miz Berlin dies, the girl realizes that she has shared an experience that will be part of her life forever. While a number of intergenerational stories are available, most center on a grandparent-grandchild relationship; this, like Nancy White Carlstrom and Amy Schwartz's Blow Me a Kiss, Miss Lily (HarperCollins, 1990), focuses on a friendship between two non-related people. The cross-cultural cast is an added plus.?Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jane Yolen is one of the most versatile children's book authors today. Her picture books include the 1998 Caldecott Honor book, The Emperor and the Kite.
Floyd Cooper is the award-winning author/illustrator of many books, including Mandela. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399229388
• ISBN-13: 978-0329219871
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,147,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable for all generations, February 25, 2000

By 

WLC (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miz Berlin Walks (Hardcover)

An evening stroll engenders an unexpected friendship between an elderly woman, and a young girl. The elderly lady (Miz Berlin) recounts her childhood through beautifully creative stories which capture the imagination of the young girl and further ignites her curiosity about her elderly friend. The book's soft and poignant illustrations reveal the innocent spirit of the young girl's imaginings and gently draws the reader into the fantasy.

I think adults and children - young girls especially - will enjoy reading Miz Berlin Walks. It is a tender, touching story that should be shared amongst all generations.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and touching., September 14, 2008

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miz Berlin Walks (Paperback)

This is a book about a young girl - except, judging by the narration, I suspect that she's intended to be quite old at the time of the story, we just don't see that - who makes friends with the old woman who walks down the block every afternoon.

And every day the woman tells stories - true stories, tall tales, you name it. And the girl goes home and tells her doll so she can remember.

Until Miz Berlin doesn't show up, and doesn't finish her story. We're told that she broke her hip, and eventually she dies. But it's clear from the narration that there's acceptance there.

It's a realistic story about death, I do believe. Definitely recommended for any child starting to understand the concept of mortality.